The commercial outdoor grower has used mushroom plugs for many years. Now the
MUSHROOM MAN brings it home to you!

Log cultivation is usually done
with logs 4 - 6 inches in diameter with a length of 3 to 4 feet. Oak is
particularly good for the cultivation of most mushrooms though many other
species work well also: poplar, aspen, sugar maple, willow, alder and birch,
among others.

The
Reishi mushroom can increase the production of interleukin1 and 2, resulting
in inhibition of tumor growth. Studies show that Reishi can have a number of
other positive effects on the body such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory,
antioxidant, anti-viral (through its interferon production), lowers blood
pressure. It also acts as a cardiotonic by lowering serum and increasing the
production of interleukin 1 and 2, which results in inhibition of tumor
cholesterol, expectorant, anti-tissue, liver protecting and detoxifying,
protection against ionizing radiation, antibacterial, and anti-HIV activity.

Maitake Mushroom
(Grifola frondosa) may best be known for its cancer-fighting properties. It
contains grifolan, an important beta-glucan polysaccharide (molecule
composed of many sugar molecules linked together).

Grifolan has been shown to activate macrophages, a
type of cell consider the " heavy artillery": of the immune system, explains
Larry A. Walker, Ph.D., R.D., author of "Natural products update," published
in Drug Topics, June 1997. D-fraction, one of the polysaccharides in maitake
mushroom, also energized the cellular immune system.

Maitake
Hen of the Woods

Grifolafrondosa

Quantity

Lionís
mane and Conifer Coral are
common name given to a group of mushrooms of the genus
Hericium. Lionís mane mushrooms have a coral-like shape, with spindly
branches that shoot out from the stem. They are creamy yellow in color, and
are noted for their lobster-like flavor and texture when cooked.

Conifer
Coral

Hericiumabietis

(Grows on Pine)

Quantity

Lionís
Mane

Hericiumerinaceus

(Grows on Hard Wood)

Quantity

Health
benefits of mushrooms have been investigated by Japanese scientists and
reveal mushrooms may favorably influence the immune system. Possessing
potential benefits in fighting cancer, glutamic acid, an amino acid present
in mushrooms, seems to be instrumental in combatting infection. Every
culture has used mushrooms as food, as well as medicine, and have been a
longtime staple in Asian diets. Mysterious mushrooms have also served as
stimulants or hallucinogens in religious ceremonies.

Reported Health Benefits: Oyster mushrooms are best known medically
for their cardiovascular and cholesterol-controlling benefits. Oyster
mushrooms contain mevinolin and related compounds which are potent
competitive inhibitors of HMG CoA reductase (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl
coenzyme A reductuctase), the major rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol
biosynthesis. In addition, they have been shown to have activity in the
following:

Soy wax is used to seal in the spawn
plugs once the log has been inoculated.
It can be applied with a small foam brush, baster, cotton daubers or other
such applicators. The small soy wax is able to cover 500
plugs.

Small
Soy Wax
~1/2 lb
(Will cover approx. 500 Plugs)
$7.95

Large Soy Wax
~1 lb
(Will cover approx. 1000 Plugs)
$13.95

Tree Selection Guide

Shiitake

The logs that will produce the highest yields of shiitake
are oaks, chestnut and ironwood.
Many
other species will produce yields that are still satisfactory though not
quite as high, such as sweetgum, bitternut hickory, alder, aspen, hard
maples (sugar and black), black willow, yellow birch and river birch. Trees
to avoid for shiitake cultivation include conifers, fruit trees, elm,
hackberry, sassafras, soft maples (red and striped), sourwood, tulip poplar,
dogwood, black locust, *beech and most of the hickories.

*HOWEVER...beech may be used if you are careful not
to harm the then layer of bark.

Reishi

Will grow on a wide range of hardwood logs and some conifers: oak, elm,
maple, sycamore, beech, plum, peach, hemlock, mimosa, and many others.

Oysters

Consider growing on large diameter oak stumps or large diameter oak logs 2
ft. in length that are buried half-way standing upright to create a stump.

Chicken of the Woods

Like
Maitake, these can be grown on large diameter stumps or large diameter logs
2 ft. in length that are buried half-way standing upright. It will also grow
on large diameter logs laying on the ground, such as fallen tree trunks and
butt logs. Chicken of the woods grows well on oak, spruce, fir and hemlock.

Lions
Mane

This mushroom will grow on a wide range of hardwoods, including oak, walnut,
beech, and elm.

You plugs will come with explicit
directions.

Wintertime Log Inoculation

Itís late Fall and the nights are getting cold. You live in an
area of harsh winters, and you are concerned that any logs you inoculate now
will be exposed to hard freezing before the spawn has colonized your logs.

In the Southern states you have more time, because an occasional freeze will
not set back the mycelium. But when newly inoculated, the log is vulnerable to
hard or prolonged freezing, which can retard the first fruitings for several
months to a year.

So should you wait until Spring?

Or should you
inoculate those great logs your friend gave you, and try to store them inside?
But what if you donít have indoor space to store a bunch of logs?

Here
are three or four options of increasing degrees of adventureness:

1. Wait
until early Spring to inoculate. If you have already cut your logs in the Fall,
they will probably be too dry by Spring, and you will have to cut some fresh
logs

2. You can store inoculated logs in a relatively warm (36ļ to 75ļ)
and humid place. A solar-warmed greenhouse is ideal!

3. A basement or
indoor room with a humidifier works fine, but requires either indirect sunlight
or fluorescent lights Ė 12 hrs on & 12 hrs off Ė to kill any mold that may try
to grow in the condensation on logs, walls, & ceiling. Stack or lean the logs
slightly separated from each other, and cover them with plastic to slow down
moisture loss. In about 3 months the logs are well-colonized enough that you can
stack them outside. Follow the directions in How to Grow Mushrooms on Natural
Logs in our website, or in page 6 of your catalog. Colonized logs can take minus
50ļ F without any problems, and the logs greatly benefit from Winter rains or a
layer of snow on them. Even in Winter, if itís dry, you will have to water your
logs deeply but infrequently.4. You can make a very small simple solar
greenhouse from the logs themselves. Hereís how:

a. Choose a location
sheltered from the North wind and facing the sun. The best is a South-facing
wall.

b. Lay down a thick mat of straw on the ground, or on pallets, to
act as insulation from the frozen ground.

c. Stack the logs in open
log-cabin stacks, not more than about 1 m (one yard) high. (See our directions
How to Grow Mushrooms on Natural Logs)

d. Insulate the N, E, and W sides
of the stack with a thick layer of straw, but the top of the stacks more thinly
with about 3Ē of straw, so some of the sunlight can come in, but the daytime
heat doesnít radiate out from the top too fast at night.

e. Then cover
the whole thing with clear poly plastic, held down with rocks, bricks, unused
logs, stakes, or dirt. Slant the plastic on the South side out a little (see
picture below). Since you are leaving the South side open but covered with clear
plastic, you are essentially making a mini solar greenhouse or cold frame with
your logs.

Even in
coldest weather, bright sunlight coming in through the south side could overheat
the logs. Put a couple of thermometers near the top of the stack under the
plastic to monitor the temperature. If it rises above 95∫, you can cover the
South side and/or top of the stacks with 80% shade cloth or burlap bags. In very
sunny spells, it might be a good idea to keep 40% shade cloth on the stacks all
the time to prevent overheating.

The idea is somewhat experimental, so we
would love to hear from folks who make this log mini-greenhouse. With your
permission, we will post your comments here.

Log cultivation is usually done with logs 4 to 6 inches in diameter with a
length of 3 to 4 feet. Oak is particularly good for the cultivation of most
mushrooms though many other hardwoods work well also, such as poplar, aspen,
sugar maple, willow, alder and birch, among others. Conifers are to be avoided
for the cultivation of most mushrooms with the exception of chicken of the
woods.

To select the appropriate trees for the cultivation of different gourmet
mushrooms, refer to the tree selection guide on the back of this sheet. The best
times for cutting logs are either in the winter months for spring inoculation or
from August through October for late summer or fall inoculation. When
inoculating logs in the summer, it is best to do the inoculation in the morning
in a shady place. When selecting logs for mushroom cultivation, choose living
trees without signs of decay. If the tree is dead, it will certainly already
have other fungi growing in the wood. Using logs from a dead or unhealthy tree
will either lower your yields or prevent production altogether. It is best to
inoculate logs in early spring if they have been cut during the winter.

You can usually begin to inoculate logs one month before the average last frost
date as long as day-time temperatures are above 40o F. If you cut logs during
summer, it is best to inoculate them within 3 weeks after they have been cut so
that the logs will still have an adequate moisture content. After inoculation,
the logs are placed in a shady location out of the wind. Logs generally begin
producing 6 months to 1 year after inoculation; after which, they usually
continue to fruit for 4 years producing 1-2 lb. per year.

Each log usually produces 2.5 lb - 4 lb over its lifetime. Reishi, chicken of
the woods, maitake and oyster grow well on both logs and stumps. For
inoculation, you will need a drill, a hammer and cheese wax. If you are using
plug spawn, you will need a 5/16 in. drill bit to drill to a
depth of approx. 1". If you are using sawdust spawn,
you will need a 7/16 in. drill bit. Spawn can stay viable for up to 6 months in
a refrigerator.

Step
1

Drill 1ľ in. deep holes for plug spawn or 1 in. deep holes for sawdust
spawn into the log spacing the holes about 6 - 8 in. apart within a row.
Leave approximately 2 in. between the rows and offset the holes so that
they form a hexagonal pattern. A 4 in.
diameter log will need 6 rows; a 5 in. diameter log will need 7, and a 6
in. diameter log will need 9 rows. A 4 in. log usually is given
about
40 - 50 plugs. A large stump usually requires 100 to 200 holes arranged in
a similar hexagonal fashion around the trunk and with holes on the top of
the stump as well. Spawn for all mushroom varieties are inoculated into
logs and stumps in this manner.

Step 2

If using plug spawn, hammer the plugs into the holes flush
with the bark. If using sawdust spawn, plunge the inoculator into the
sawdust and then insert the spawn into the holes. Make sure the sawdust
spawn is packed tightly into the hole flush with the bark.

Step 3Cover
the plugs or sawdust with cheese wax. To do this, melt the
wax in a pan which can be maintained at 300oF. An electric frying pan with
a thermostat control works well for this. If inoculating away from
electricity, using a camp stove, make sure that the wax is hot when you
apply it; otherwise, the wax will not create a tight seal and can easily
fall off. The cheese wax will smoke lightly when it is adequately hot. The
wax can be applied with a foam brush or dauber.

Step 4

Choose a shady location which receives protection from the wind. Shiitake,
woodears, oyster, and Lions mane are usually grown on logs that are leaned
against a rail, fence or other similar structure. You can also bury ľ of the log
so that it is standing upright or lay the logs on the ground. For Maitake and
chicken of the woods, bury the logs halfway standing upright. For Reishi either
lay the logs on the ground or bury the logs length-wise just under the soil
surface for enhanced moisture. Larger diameter logs of Reishi in 2 ft lengths
can be buried halfway standing upright as a stump.

Log Maintenance

It is very important to take care of your logs while they are colonizing or
resting in between fruitings. The easiest way to help with keeping your logs
healthy and happy is to cover them with a tarp to keep them out of direct
sunlight and to keep the humidity in. Check on your logs regularly to ensure
that they are moist. If your logs ever seem dry, water them. Although they
obtain their nutrients differently from plants, your mushrooms need water to
stay alive just like plants.